Wrench



Aug. 18, 1925. 1,550,436

W. HALL WRENCH Filed Dec. 4, 1923 Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM HALL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

WRENCH.

Application filed December 4, 1923. Serial- No. 678,475.

To all whom it may cancer-n:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in wrenches and more particularly to an attachment therefor, the object being to provide a wrench with means for holding the jaw of the wrench in position on the nut to be turned.

Another and further object of the invention is t provide an attachment which can be readily placed in position on any of the well known forms of spanner wrenches now in use so that it will engage the top of the nut and support the jaw of the wrench over the nut so that as the nut is turned, the jaw will be prevented from slipping off of the nut.

Another and further object of the invention is to provide a wrench which is exceedingly simple and cheap in construction, the attachment being slidably mounted on the shank of the wrench so that it can be moved into and out of operative position, which allows the attachment to be used when desired or the wrench to be used without the attachment.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention showing the manner of operating the same;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the attachment;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fi ure 2;

igure 4 is a detail plan view showing a sli htly modified form; and

igure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

In the drawing 1 indicates a shank or body of a wrench which is herein shown in the form of a crank wrench having a handle 2 and provided with a head 3 having a socket to form a jaw which is adapted to embrace a nut 5 to be turned on the bolt 6.

While in the drawing I. have shown a particular construction of wrench, I wish it to be clearly understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the use of my improved attachment to any particular construction of wrench, as it is capable of being used in connection with any wrench having a rigid aw.

My attachment comprises a sleeve portion 7 which is adapted to embrace the shank 1 of the Wrench, the same being substantially the same shape in cross section so that it can slide freely on the shank. The sleeve is provided with a forwardly projecting portion 8 terminating in a jaw 9, the portion 8 being offset or lying in a plane above the top of the shank as clearly shown in Figure 2 in order to place the jaw 9 in such a position that when it is in position on top of the nut 5 of the bolt, 6, the rigid jaw ofthe wrench will engage the central portion of the nut, but it is, of course, understood that this is not essential as if the jaw 9 and jaw 3 of the wrench were in close proximity to one another, the device would operate in the same manner.

In Figure 4 I show a shank 10 provided with a jaw 11 having a sleeve 12 which is preferably formed of spring material so it can be sprung apart and clamped over the shank 10 as clearly shown in Figure 5, the sleeve being provided with a jaw 13 for engaging the top of the nut to be turned in order to support the rigid jaw 11 of the wrench in its proper position on the nut. This provides means for attaching and detaching the device to an ordinary wrench.

In both constructions thejaw of the attachment, of course, is smaller than the jaw of the wrench to which it is attached so that when the wrench is applied to the nut, the jaw of the attachment will rest on top of the nut in order to support the jaw of the wrench in position around the nut so that it is prevented from sliding down oif the nut as the same is turned.

In the preferred form the sleeve is provided with a longitudinal slot and the shank is provided with a threaded bore in which works the thumb screw A for clamping the sleeve in its adjusted position upon the shank ofthe wrench so that the auxiliary jaw can be locked into or out of operative position in respect to the jaw of the wrench. By this construction, when the thumb screw is loosened, the sleeve is free to move on the body of the wrench so as to move it in extended or drawn position and when it is in adjusted position, it can be locked in that position.

While I have shown in the drawing the attachment with a jaw substantially rectangular in shape, it is, of course, understood that I do not wish to limit myself to this particular formation of jaw as so long as a bifurcated member is movably mounted on the shank of the wrench so that it can be moved over the nut, the same result will be obtained, as the jaw of the wrench will be supported.

As shown in Figure 1 the wrench can be inserted and removed from the nut when the attachment is in its operative position, but it is, of course, understood that the attachment can be moved back on the shank of the wrench when it is not desired to use the same.

In the operation of a wrench with an attachment as herein shown and described, the rigid jaw of. the wrench embraces the nut and the jaw of the attachment rests on top of the nut so that it is impossible for the jaw to drop down off the nut as the same is being turned.

What I claim is 1. A wrench having a handle and a rigid jaw, a sleeve slidably mounted on the handle having an extension offset therefrom provided with a bifurcated head, and means for locking said sleeve in adjusted position upon said handle.

2. An attachment for wrenches comprising a sleeve adapted to embrace the shank of a wrench and movably mounted thereon, said sleeve being provided with a bifurcated extension, and a thumbscrew mounted in the shank adapted to engage said sleeve for locking said sleeve in adjusted position upon the shank of the wrench.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM HALL. 

